Home Office

Asylum: Rwanda

Lord Browne of Ladyton: To ask His Majesty's Government what UK expenditure within Rwanda has been authorised in respect of (1) building the capacity of their asylum system, and (2) amending the UK–Rwanda agreement to mitigate against the risk of refoulement.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: As I said to the House at Committee Stage for the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill on 19 February, Noble Lords will be aware that we have provided Rwanda with £220 million as part of the economic transformation fund and £20 million as an advance credit to pay for operational costs in advance of flights commencing. The spend on the MEDP with Rwanda so far is £240 million.We anticipate providing another £50 million in the next financial year. This is not new but follows the same arrangement from 2022.Rwanda did not ask for money to sign the treaty, nor did we offer it. However, it is right and proper that there is funding to reflect the additional costs in the future. The Government are already committed to disclosing further payments made as part of the economic transformation fund and the per-person relocation costs as part of the department’s annual accounts in the normal way.During the debate, I committed to write to the Noble Lord Purvis on this matter, and the letter will be published in the House library in due course.

HM Passport Office: Cybersecurity

Lord Rosser: To ask His Majesty's Government how many data breaches have been reported by HM Passport Office's security team since 2020.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: Between 1 January 2020 and 6 February 2024, His Majesty’s Passport Office reported 15,218 data breaches across passport and certificate services, which includes those resulting from a partner delivery error.This figure is approximately 0.05% of the applications and orders handled by HM Passport Office and the General Register Office within the same period.

Immigration: Enforcement

Lord Rosser: To ask His Majesty's Government how many community events have Immigration Enforcement's National Community Engagement Team annually (1) held, and (2) hosted; and what were theannual costs of these events.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The National Community Engagement Team have held and hosted two community events, both in this financial year. The annual costs for these are £20,707, which includes £3,451 VAT.

Borders: Digital Technology

Lord Rosser: To ask His Majesty's Government when the Digital Services at the Border programme will be completed, andwhat estimate they have made of its total cost.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: DSAB will complete in spring this year. The cost of bringing all the world leading, security features that it delivers will have been £177m since the programme reset in 2020.

Metropolitan Police: Labour Turnover

Lord Browne of Ladyton: To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of serving Metropolitan Police Service officers have served for more than five years, and what assessment they have made of the strength of institutional memory within the Metropolitan Police Service.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Home Office collects and publishes data annually on the length of service of police officers employed within the police service in the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales.Information on the length of service of police officers employed in each of the 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales can be found in Table JL5 in the data tables accompanying each publication.As at 31 March 2023, 67% of police officers employed within the Metropolitan Police Service had 5 years or more service.The retention of experienced police officers is a priority for the Home Office and the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC). Voluntary resignation rates, at around 3%, are low compared to other sectors.

Asylum: Standards

Lord Browne of Ladyton: To ask His Majesty's Government how many legacy asylum applications are awaiting an initial decision.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Statistics relating to Illegal Migration’. Provisional data on the legacy applications awaiting an initial decision is published in table IMB_02 of the Statistics relating to the Illegal Migration Act: data tables to December 2023. The latest data relates to 28 December 2023.Finalised data for 31 December 2023 is due to be published on 29 February 2024 in table Asy_10a of the Asylum and resettlement summary tables, as part of the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’.Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’. Statistics relating to the Illegal Migration Act (xlsx, 57.8KB)Asylum and resettlement summary tables (xlsx, 129.7KB)

Slavery

Lord Field of Birkenhead: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to tackle modern slavery.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Government is committed to tackling modern slavery to ensure that victims are provided with the support they need to begin rebuilding their lives and that those responsible are prosecuted.The Home Office continues to fund specialist support for adult victims of modern slavery in England and Wales through the £379 million Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract and for children, who receive support through local authority safeguarding structures, we are also continuing to work with Barnardo’s to provide additional and tailored support through the Independent Child Trafficking Guardian service.Since 2016, in addition to core police funding, we have invested £17.8 million in the Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Unit, a specialist police unit which supports all police forces in England and Wales to improve their response to modern slavery.In addition, between 2016 and March 2023, the Home Office spent over £40.4 million through the Modern Slavery Fund to combat modern slavery overseas and reduce the threat of human trafficking to the UK. We continue to work across operational partners and the sector to deliver on modern slavery.

Migration Advisory Committee

Lord Mann: To ask His Majesty's Government what decision, if any, was made by the Migration Advisory Committee on item 7 of their agenda as referenced in the minutes of their meeting of 14 July 2023; and, if so, when.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: In response to the request from the Home Secretary for all agencies and public bodies that are sponsored by the Home Office, including the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), to adopt and publish a statement adopting the IHRA’s definition of antisemitism, the MAC included a wider policy statement on discrimination in its 2023 Annual Governance Report: Migration Advisory Committee: annual report, 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Independent Examiner of Complaints: Annual Reports

Lord Rosser: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Home Office's Independent Examiner of Complaints service, and whether the Office of the Independent Examiner of Complaints will publish annual reports.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Independent Examiner of Complaints (IEC) is operating within its terms of reference. The Memorandum of Understanding between the Home Office and the IEC states that the IEC will publish an annual report.

INTERPOL: Databases

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government whatrepresentations they have made to Interpol regarding (1)arrest warrants being issued by the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities for Hong Kong dissidents and (2) their targeting through Interpol, including through its Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government, following reports of the Turkish government's use of the Interpol Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database to target dissidents abroad, whatrepresentations they have made to Interpol regardingmisuse of the SLTD database.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government, following reports of the Turkish government's misuse of the Interpol Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database,what assessment they have madeof the Chinese government's ability to use the SLTD database to target Chinese and Hong Kong dissidents abroad.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Government strongly supports INTERPOL’s efforts to ensure systems are in place that protect individuals’ human rights in line with Article 3 of INTERPOL's Constitution which strictly forbids any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character. The Home Office continues to work with INTERPOL and the National Crime Agency (NCA), which acts as the UK’s National Central Bureau (NCB) for INTERPOL, to monitor the effectiveness of existing safeguards. We encourage INTERPOL to uphold international human rights obligations and we won’t hesitate to recommend further reforms to INTERPOL as necessary. We are continuing to strengthen our collective efforts to deter the misuse of INTERPOL systems and support organisational reform and governance at INTERPOL.

British Nationality: Assessments

Lord Rosser: To ask His Majesty's Government how many unannounced inspections of Life in the UK test centres have taken place each month since November 2022; whether any test centres have been closed since November 2022; and, if so, for what reason.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The information requested is not held in a reportable format.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Pakistan: Ahmadiyya

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of Ahmadis who will be excluded from voting in the forthcoming Pakistan elections because of their refusal to renounce their religious beliefs in order to qualify for the franchise.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK advocates for inclusive elections, through which all of Pakistan's citizens can exercise their democratic rights. We advocate against any measures which restrict an individual's right to vote, including discriminatory measures used against religious minority communities, including the Ahmadiyya Muslim community. The 2021 Home Office country report outlines that there are no reliable estimates of the total number of Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan, many boycott the census as they are not able to self-identify as Muslim. Available information indicates the population is between 187,000 (official 2017 census results) and 600,000 (community sources), though some estimates suggest numbers as high as 4 million. On the 1 February, Ahmadiyya community spokesperson Amir Mahmood stated that the community has decided to disassociate from the upcoming general election on the 8 February, due to the use of a separate voter list which is prepared only for Ahmadi citizens and excludes them from the general voter list, unlike any other community.

Gaza and Israel: Reconstruction

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government what plansthey haveto assist with rebuilding destroyed or damaged areas in Israel/Gaza when the conflict there ends; and what assistance the UK will provide in training citizens inthose affectedcountries to enable them to lead in all work of reconstruction.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are calling for an immediate stop in fighting to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life.We recognise that we must work with our allies to provide serious, practical and enduring support needed to bolster the Palestinian Authority. We already provide technical and practical support and are ready to do more.We have regular discussions with Israeli counterparts on all aspects of the conflict.

Iraq: Development Aid

Lord McInnes of Kilwinning: To ask His Majesty's Government what funding and other support is provided to the government of Iraq; and whether any of this is used by the government of Iraq towards the Popular Mobilisation Forces.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK wants to see a more stable, peaceful and prosperous Iraq. Across our programmes, we aim to counter threats and foster stability and development, while promoting UK interests and values. Our funding and support is delivered through implementing partners and not directly through the Government of Iraq. While we do not provide any UK funding or support directly to the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), it is not always possible for the UK to restrict participation in UK-funded initiatives to only non-PMF personnel.

Human Rights

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the White Paper on International Development published on 20 November 2023 (CP 975), when they expect to publish the FCDO Strategy on Open Societies and Human Rights; and what they anticipate the impact of the Strategy will be on (1) developing protection mechanisms, respite schemes and rapid response support for human rights defenders, and (2) supporting local networks that emphasise the protection of such defenders.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The FCDO acknowledges the commitment made in the International Development White Paper to publish an Open Societies and Human Rights Strategy. The Strategy is in draft, and it will be published in due course. In line with commitments made in the International Development White Paper, the Strategy will signal our intent to provide additional support to human rights defenders. This is in line with the recent announcement that the UK will provide £1 million in funding over the next two years to the Lifeline Embattled Civil Society Organizations (CSO) Assistance Fund to provide much needed support to civic actors facing reprisals for their important work.

Nepal: Castes

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of caste-based discrimination in Nepal; what part of the Overseas Development Assistance is being used to support Dalit women across South Asia and specifically in Nepal; and what resources they have made available for grassroots organisations supporting Dalit women’s rights.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Gender inequality and social exclusion are significant challenges in Nepal. Whilst Nepal has a progressive constitution and many progressive laws and policies, implementation issues remain. The rights of women and girls is one of FCDO's core goals in Nepal. We fund grassroot organisations which work with the most vulnerable including Dalit communities and regularly engage with Dalit organisations to inform our existing and future programming. The UK is invested in shifting negative norms in society and institutions, improving processes and strengthening systems. Full information on our programmes can be found on DevTracker.

Pakistan: Thalassaemia

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan on ensuring the availability of thalassaemia treatment and awareness; and what allocations of the Official Development Aid is being put towards this.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK uses Official Development Assistance (ODA) to support Pakistan in realising its ambition of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and ending preventable deaths of mothers, babies and children. We take a systems approach to this, providing technical assistance to strengthen decision making on health policy and financing. We also build the evidence base on effective sub-system interventions for UHC. No specific investments are made in Thalassaemia treatment or awareness raising in Pakistan. However, our support will strengthen core components of Pakistan's health system and increase coverage and service offers that should be of benefit to those with Thalassaemia.

Ukraine: Reconstruction

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government what plansthey haveto assist with rebuilding destroyed or damaged areas in Ukraine when the conflict there ends; and what assistance the UK will provide in training citizens in that country to enable them to lead in all work of reconstruction.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is committed to helping Ukraine recover from Russia's illegal invasion. The UK and Ukraine co-hosted the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London in June 2023, raising over $60 billion towards Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction. We are helping to build Ukraine's capacity to deliver recovery and reconstruction projects at an unprecedented scale. The UK's Infrastructure Projects Authority is providing strategic advice to State Agency for Restoration. We are also working to mobilise private sector investment for reconstruction through initiatives on reforms and good governance, financial markets and insurance, business expertise, infrastructure and energy.

Foreign Policy

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the process for triggering a Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability assessment; who makes that decision; and what is the process for conducting that assessment.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: A Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS) process is context-dependent. It is triggered by specialist technical advice that new or updated joint analysis is needed. The decision to commission a JACS is ordinarily made by the Head of Mission or at Director-level in FCDO, as well as relevant senior leads in HMG departments. The process for conducting the assessment is available in a guidance note on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/joint-analysis-of-conflict-and-stability-jacs-guidance-note.

Kenya: Malaria

Lord Spencer of Alresford: To ask His Majesty's Government whatthey aredoing to support Kenya in its fight against malaria followingrecent flooding which threatens to derail gains in that fight.

Lord Benyon: The UK is one of the largest contributors to the fight against malaria in Kenya. We have contributed £5.5 billion since 2002 to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which is procuring additional malaria commodities for Kenya, including distributing over ten million bed nets for malaria prevention. We support the recently announced rollout of malaria vaccines - which includes Kenya - through Gavi, the Vaccines Alliance, to whom we have pledged £1.65 billion between 2020 and 2025. We support the Kenya Medical Research Institute to increase malaria surveillance and treatment across Kenya.

Department of Health and Social Care

Continuing Care

Lord Crisp: To ask His Majesty's Government how many people applied for assistance through NHS Continuing Healthcare in each of the past two financial years.

Lord Crisp: To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of people who applied for assistance through NHS Continuing Healthcare in each of the past two financial years were successful in their application.

Lord Markham: Standard NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is a package of National Health Service funded ongoing care for adults with the highest levels of complex, intense or unpredictable needs, who have been assessed as having a primary health need. Fast Track CHC is for adults who have a primary health need resulting from a rapidly deteriorating condition, who are nearing the end of their life. This aims to put an appropriate care and support package in place as soon as possible. The following table shows the number of new referrals for both Standard and Fast Track CHC, and the percentage of those found eligible, for each quarter over the last two financial years in England:PeriodStandard CHCFast TrackStandard CHCFast Track2022/23Q416,57828,79716%96%Q315,38327,72718%95%Q215,06226,68317%95%Q115,49825,93618%96%2021/22Q414,65325,91017%95%Q314,63625,79317%95%Q215,17825,74620%96%Q116,00124,66419%96% Note: the number of new referrals does not include referrals for assessments of previously unassessed periods of care.

Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce

Lord Storey: To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to includingeducational attainment and outcomes within the scope of the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce.

Lord Markham: The scope of the Children and Young People Taskforce will be determined once the work of the taskforce begins, in spring 2024. Supporting children with cancer is an absolute priority for the Government and we will continue to work across organisations to ensure children with cancer get the care and support they need, to deal with the challenges cancer brings.The Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Education share the ambition that children with cancer get the support they need to remain in school if they are well enough, both to maintain their education and for the benefits of being with their friends. We understand this may not always be possible, either on a short or long-term basis. That is why there are existing statutory duties to ensure children with cancer should be able to get the support they need, without an education, health, and care plan.In addition to support from schools and local authorities, it is important to recognise the support built into National Health Service specifications for children’s cancer. These specifications require children’s cancer services to take a multi-agency approach to support, and address the wider social, educational, psychological, and emotional needs of the child and family. This includes providing ready access to a wide range of services and professionals, including educational support which includes teachers, health play specialists, speech and language, and rehabilitative support. These services are vital in ensuring that children and families have the support to face the difficult challenges cancer brings.

Continuing Care

Lord Crisp: To ask His Majesty's Government what criteria they use to assess the success of NHS Continuing Healthcare.

Lord Markham: The Department is responsible for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) policy and legislation, which includes the National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care. We work with partners to ensure that the core principles and values of CHC are upheld as set out in the framework, a copy of which is attached.Operational delivery of CHC is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) with oversight from NHS England. NHS England holds ICBs accountable, engages with them to ensure that they discharge their functions, and monitors performance through well-established assurance mechanisms.HL2428 attachment - National Framework (pdf, 1299.6KB)

Cancer: Children

Baroness Randerson: To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of the newly established Children and Young People Cancer Task Force, how they will ensure that there is an integrated and coherent strategy between that and the Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence for Children in child neuro-oncology; how they will ensure that resources are not unnecessarily duplicated; and how their work will be monitored and reported.

Lord Markham: The Department is taking steps to ensure that there is strategic integration and alignment between the newly established Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce and other important cancer initiatives, including the Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence for Children.The Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce is intended to be a unifying force, driving progress in the research, detection, diagnosis, and treatment of cancers affecting children and young people. The taskforce will be embedded in the landscape of cancer reform, mapping work already underway, identifying opportunities to go further, and ensuring that commitments are delivered, including those from the NHS Long Term Plan.A vital part of the taskforce’s work will be to engage with initiatives such as the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission. The initiative for the Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence for Children aims to recognise and award paediatric neuro-oncology centres that provide excellent treatment, care and research activities for children with brain tumours, and their families. The programme aims to uncover gaps and best practice through comprehensive data collection and is the first of its kind to understand and assess paediatric brain cancer care across the United Kingdom.Both the taskforce and the centre will benefit from strategic coordination, senior official engagement and ongoing collaboration to ensure integration, best use of resources, and effective outcomes. While they have different timeframes and scopes, both will be subject to ongoing monitoring and reporting, with ministers being kept informed of progress at every stage.

Oral Tobacco: Regulation

Baroness Watkins of Tavistock: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have plans to regulate the marketing and advertising of tobacco-free nicotine pouches.

Lord Markham: Whilst the use of nicotine pouches is currently low among adults, it is increasingly popular with younger male audiences. Nicotine is a highly addictive drug, and we have a duty to protect children and young people from potential harms.In October 2023, the Government and the devolved administrations launched the smokefree generation and youth vaping consultation which considered whether consumer nicotine products, such as nicotine pouches, should come under a similar regulatory framework as nicotine vapes.We have now published our response, which outlines measures to regulate the promotion and marketing of nicotine pouches, by restricting the flavours, packaging, and where nicotine pouches can be displayed in store. We have also committed to bring forward regulations to introduce an age of sale for these products of 18 years old or above. We will introduce the legislation as soon as possible.

Food: Advertising

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department of Health and Social Care on 9 December 2022 (HCWS433), what assessment they have made of the impact of the delays to the implementation of the regulations in the Health and Social Care Act 2022 on children's health.

Lord Markham: Further restrictions on the advertising of less healthy foods will come into force on 1 October 2025. The Government will simultaneously introduce a 9:00pm television watershed for products high in fat, salt, or sugar, and a restriction of paid-for advertising of these products online. This was delayed from January 2023 to ensure robust implementation. While it may take slightly longer for the projected health benefits of these restrictions to materialise, we do not anticipate a significant impact in the long term, either on obesity rates or the National Health Service.

Asthma: Children

Lord Woolley of Woodford: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding by the Mayor of London and the London Assembly that approximately half of London’s recorded childhood asthma hospitalisations between 2021 and 2022 were from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups.

Lord Markham: The Department is aware of the findings of the Mayor of London and the London Assembly on childhood asthma hospitalisations in London. NHS London’s Children and Young People’s Asthma programme run a yearly #AskAboutAsthma campaign to raise the awareness of asthma across the whole system. The focus in 2022 was on health inequalities and asthma care for all, and to support the work around implementing Core20plus5 for children. This included raising awareness amongst asthma clinicians and commissioners to improve the care for children and young people from specific ethnic minority groups. As part of Core20plus5, NHS England has also worked with integrated care systems and their paediatric asthma networks to focus on these groups.

Pharmacy: Closures

Lord Storey: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the closure of over 1,000 pharmacies since 2015; and what assessment they have made of the impact of pharmacy closures in deprived areas.

Lord Markham: There were 10,613 pharmacies on 31 January 2024 providing National Health Services in England. The Department monitors changes to the market closely to understand patient access to NHS pharmaceutical services. Access remains good, with 80% of the population living within 20 minutes walking distance of a pharmacy and twice as many pharmacies in the most deprived areas of the country. We have seen more closures in the more deprived areas, but that is largely what we would expect as there are more pharmacies in those areas.The law requires that every three years, local authority Health and Wellbeing Boards undertake pharmaceutical needs assessments to understand if provision is sufficient to meet local population needs. Contractors can apply to open a pharmacy where there is a gap or a need for improved access to services, or if they can make a case for providing other benefits to the local communities. When their usual local pharmacy closes, patients can choose to access any of the remaining pharmacies nearby. Patients can also choose to access NHS pharmaceutical services remotely through any of the approximately 400 internet pharmacies in England, which are contractually required to deliver medicines to patients’ homes free of charge.

Healthy Start Scheme

Lord Field of Birkenhead: To ask His Majesty's Government, in each of the past 12 months for which data are available, how much money was (1) credited to NHS Healthy Start cards, (2) used by entitled beneficiaries within the period of time they have available to spend that money on valid items, and (3) not used.

Lord Field of Birkenhead: To ask His Majesty's Government what happens to any money credited to NHS Healthy Start cards that is not used by entitled beneficiaries within the period of time they have available to spend that money on valid items.

Lord Markham: Under the Healthy Start scheme, pregnant women and children aged under four years old and over one years old, each receive £4.25 every week, and children under one years old each receive £8.50 every week. Healthy Start can be used to buy, or be put towards the cost of, fresh, frozen or tinned fruits and vegetables, fresh, dried and tinned pulses, milk and infant formula. The money is loaded onto a pre-paid payment card. Beneficiaries are not required to spend the money each week and it can be accumulated and put towards more expensive Healthy Start items, such as infant formula. The legislation states that only after 16 consecutive weeks of the pre-paid payment card not being used can the card be cancelled.This flexibility in how and when the money can be used means that the total amount spent in any one month can exceed the amount added in that month, if beneficiaries have accumulated funds in previous months. The following table shows the latest data for how much was added onto Healthy Start cards and spent, per month, during 2023:MonthTotal addedTotal spentJanuary£7,859,474.75£8,353,475.29February£7,435,669.76£7,320,424.91March£10,626,362.86£8,971,140.57April£11,665,242.36£10,012,024.12May£8,137,362.11£8,218,389.00June£7,805,625.26£7,873,571.30July£9,171,390.95£8,021,060.44August£8,535,237.75£7,985,449.52September£7,549,456.50£7,887,565.69October£8,289,498.25£7,715,832.34November£7,954,638.13£7,131,207.48December£7,750,004.57£7,013,663.46 This flexibility also means that from month to month some of the money may remain on the payment cards without being used. During 2023 the average outstanding balance across all Healthy Start cards was £12.6 million. This equates to around £37 per household. If a card was unused for 16 weeks as permitted in the legislation, it would accumulate £68 for a pregnant woman or a family with a child over one and under four, or £136 for a family with twins under one years old. The average balance of £37 per household is less than 16 weeks’ entitlement, although these are aggregate figures and there will be variation across households. The following table shows the total outstanding balance across all Healthy Start cards, per month, during 2023:MonthTotal outstanding balanceJanuary£11,876,537.16February£11,456,639.28March£11,444,727.51April£12,465,403.05May£12,238,144.26June£12,123,823.55July£12,777,017.89August£13,193,581.26September£13,677,365.89October£13,066,802.63November£13,418,231.23December£13,850,960.26

Genito-urinary Medicine

Lord Farmer: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to bring forward a strategy for addressing the recent increase in sexually transmitted infections among 15–24 year-olds as called for by respondents to the House of Commons Women and Equalities Select Committee on 24 January.

Lord Markham: We are considering the next steps needed to continue improving the sexual health of the whole population. The UK Health Security Agency is undertaking work with partner organisations to identify best use of existing and emerging interventions to address the increase in sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The Department for Health and Social Care published the HIV Action Plan in 2021 which sets out the actions that we are taking over the period of 2022 to 2025 to move towards ending HIV transmissions, AIDS, and HIV-related deaths within England by 2030. As part of the plan, we are investing £4.5 million in our National HIV Prevention Programme, which annually runs National HIV Testing Week as well as summer campaigns. Their aim is to raise awareness of ways to prevent the spread of HIV and other STIs among the most affected communities, with a particular focus on young people and other at-risk populations. The Department for Education is currently reviewing the relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) statutory guidance which includes reference to STI transmission, testing and prevention methods and is expected to soon launch a public consultation on the guidance. Following the consultation, they will make a decision about any new or revised content to be included in the RSHE curriculum, including the use of resources, and whether any further action would be appropriate.

Sexually Transmitted Infections

Lord Farmer: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the increase in sexually transmitted infections among 15–24 year-olds since the end of the COVID-19 lockdown.

Lord Markham: The number of new sexually transmitted infections diagnosed among 15 to 24 years olds has increased by 29.3% from 2021 to 2022, or from 135,045 to 174,592. In particular:- chlamydia diagnoses have increased 26%, from 88,367 in 2021 to 111,380 in 2022;- gonorrhoea diagnoses have increased 91.7%, from 16,919 in 2021 to 31,037 in 2022;- first diagnoses of genital herpes have increased 14.4%, from 8,270 in 2021 to 9,461 in 2022;- diagnoses of infectious syphilis, including primary, secondary, and early latent, have increased 11.1%, from 968 in 2021 to 1,075 in 2022; and- first diagnoses of genital warts have decreased 23.3%, from 7,559 in 2021 to 5,801 in 2022.The data represents the number of diagnoses reported and not the number of people diagnosed. Data reported in 2020 and 2021 is notably lower than previous years due to the disruption to sexual health services during the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which reduced access to face-to-face appointments. Access to services subsequently recovered with the use of remote consultations and online testing expanding rapidly across the country.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Veterinary Medicine: Northern Ireland

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Douglas-Miller on 6 February (HL1687), whether there are current negotiations with the EU on the supply of veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland.

Lord Douglas-Miller: The Government is committed to securing a long-term sustainable solution ahead of December 2025 that will properly support the flow of veterinary medicines into Northern Ireland from Great Britain on an enduring basis.It remains our priority to find a solution that removes the barriers to supply of veterinary medicines into NI through technical talks with the EU.The Government is very clear that in all scenarios it is imperative to safeguard the supply of veterinary medicines to NI, and if necessary we will deploy all available flexibilities in line with our legal obligations.

Fly-tipping: Rural Areas

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address fly-tipping in rural areas.

Lord Douglas-Miller: We appreciate the difficulty that fly-tipping poses to landowners. We are working with stakeholders, such as the National Farmers Union and local authorities, through the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group to share good practice, including how to prevent fly-tipping on private land. As part of the Government’s commitment to unleash rural opportunity, we are currently funding a post within the new National Rural Crime Unit to explore how the police’s role in tacking fly-tipping can be optimised, with a focus on rural areas. Across two rounds of our fly-tipping grant scheme, we have awarded nearly £1.2m to help more than 30 councils tackle fly-tipping at known hot-spots, including in rural areas, such as by installing CCTV. We are currently reviewing applications for a third round of grants, which could see a further £1m handed out in the spring to help even more councils tackle the issue.

Air Pollution: Greater London

Lord Woolley of Woodford: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Air Pollution and Inequalities in London report published on 30 June 2023 and commissioned by Greater London Authority, which found that Black people in London are more likely to live in areas with more polluted air.

Lord Woolley of Woodford: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the evidence that Black communities in London are more likely to breathe illegal levels of air pollution than White or Asian communities.

Lord Douglas-Miller: Air quality matters in London are devolved to the Mayor of London.

Air Pollution: Finance

Lord Woolley of Woodford: To ask His Majesty's Government what funds are available for organisations that aim to reduce air pollution in England.

Lord Douglas-Miller: The Government has allocated £883 million of funding for local authorities under the 2017 UK Plan for Tackling Roadside Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) Concentrations. Defra also annually runs a Local Air Quality Grant to help local authorities across England reduce air pollution in their areas. This year we have committed to spending at least £6 million to fund projects targeting particulate matter, behavioural change campaigns and those aimed at reducing levels of NO2. The successful local authorities for this year will be announced in due course.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Lighting: City of Westminster

Lord Swire: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 29 January (HL1664), when they expect to receive applications for the listing of gas lamps within Westminster, and what steps they will take to make public the outcome of those applications.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The Department for Culture Media and Sport has recently received the advice of Historic England on a number of these applications and protected four historic lamps by listing them at Grade II. These cases were assessed as part of a pilot group and Historic England, the Government's statutory advisor on heritage matters, is currently undertaking a series of wider listing assessments relating to gas lamps in Westminster. When this additional advice is received by the Department, each case will be carefully considered. Historic England is then responsible for notifying interested parties of the Minister's decision.

Bevis Marks Synagogue

Lord Triesman: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the long-term survival of Bevis Marks Synagogue at its current site, in the light of its listed status and historical importance to the Jewish community.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: Listing recognises the special architectural or historic interest of a building, and ensures that the conservation of its significance is given particularly careful consideration by local planning authorities through the planning and listed building consent processes. The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has the power to call in applications for planning permission or listed building consent.The Bevis Marks Synagogue in the City of London was listed at Grade I in 1950, reflecting its status as the oldest synagogue in Great Britain, and among the oldest in continuous use in Europe. It is one of the most splendid architecturally, as well as being a place of religious and cultural significance.Historic England is a statutory consultee in relation to applications planning permission or listed building consent relating to Grade I-listed buildings. It is working closely with the Synagogue and the City of London Corporation to ensure that commercial growth in the City is achieved without harm to the Synagogue. As a result of its negotiations with Historic England the City Corporation recently designated a conservation area around the Synagogue and is now considering a specific policy for the protection of the Synagogue’s immediate setting.

Casement Park: Regeneration

Lord Rogan: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Gaelic Athletic Association with regard to increasing the £15 million intended to contribute towards the redevelopment of Casement Park in Belfast; and how much the overall project is currently estimated to cost.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The Department for Communities in Northern Ireland is responsible for the procurement process for the redevelopment of Casement Park, including direct engagement with local partners on their funding contributions.We are working closely with partners in Northern Ireland to make sure that EURO 2028 leaves a lasting legacy across the whole United Kingdom.

Cabinet Office

Stormont Brake

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government whethera matter vetoed under the operation of the Stormont Brake and not subsequently agreed by the UK–EU Joint Committee may be brought to international arbitration; and whether the UK has committed to accepting such a decision as final.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: It is correct to note that the Stormont Brake safeguard is not subject to any ECJ oversight, and any dispute on this issue would be resolved through subsequent independent arbitration according to international, not EU, law.

UK Internal Trade

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government when all (1) checks, and (2) paperwork, will cease to be required for goods moving via the UK Internal Market Scheme.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: As set out in the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper, the internal market system will ensure the smooth flow of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland for internal UK trade. In line with the Government’s commitments since 2021, these arrangements establish individual schemes that can be used only by UK internal market traders, to preserve those benefits for UK traders and to maintain the smooth flow of that trade. Checks on Internal UK movements under the schemes will be removed except those conducted by UK authorities and required as part of a risk-based or intelligence-led approach to tackle criminality, abuse of the schemes, smuggling and disease risks. We will set out further information on the transition to these new arrangements shortly.

Public Sector: Fraud

Lord Kempsell: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to increase funding and resource to the Counter Fraud Profession and counter-fraud function to fight fraud (1) against His Majesty's Government, and (2) in the wider public sector.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The government launched the Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA) in 2022, and a key principle was that it should be expert-led. The PSFA is developing the capability of public servants in dealing with fraud through the Government Counter Fraud Profession. The standards and guidance that the Function creates, led from the PSFA, must be used in central government, and can be used more widely in the public sector and beyond. Since its inception in 2018, GCFP membership has expanded to over 7000 members beyond central government, including policing and local government. The government is proactively seeking to find and prevent more fraud in the system and has invested an extra £1bn in tackling fraud and error since Autumn 2021 across government. This included £24.7m funding over three years to support the creation of the PSFA, building on lessons learned in the management of fraud risk and loss in the pandemic. The PSFA regularly engages with Cabinet Office and HMT Ministers and Parliament, via the Public Accounts Committee, on its work and progress against its published mandate. In addition, the PSFA further engages with, and reports to, the National Audit Office.In order to maintain its commitment to transparency, the PSFA publishes annual plans and annual reports. Last year the PSFA updated Parliament through a Written Ministerial Statement and by depositing a copy of the 2022-2023 Annual Report in the Library of both Houses.

Department for Work and Pensions

Pension Funds: Regulation

Baroness Hayman: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to discuss with the Pensions Regulator how to incorporate into regulator guidance the conclusions of the Financial Markets and Law Committee’s paper,Pension fund trustees and fiduciary duties, published on 6 February.

Baroness Hayman: To ask His Majesty's Government, following the publication of the Financial Markets and Law Committee paper on Pension fund trustees and fiduciary duties on 6 February, when they propose to hold the roundtables with stakeholders promised in the 2023 Green Finance Strategy.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Government welcomes the work of the Financial Markets Law Committee’s working group. Working with the Pensions Regulator, we will look closely at what insights we can draw from their report as we gather further evidence on how trustees are considering ESG factors in their approach to investment in the interests of their members. This report is a useful resource for trustees, but we are keen to hear views from across the pension sector and wider stakeholders as to what further clarification, or guidance, if any, is needed. We plan to do this starting with a series of roundtable events this spring.

Household Support Fund

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Barnardo's reportNo crib for a bed: a closer look at bed poverty and the Household Support Fund crisis, published on 5 February.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The report looks at a broad range of policy areas and, while we have made no specific assessment of the report itself, my Department continues to monitor the impact of its policies.The Government is committed to reducing poverty, including child poverty, and supporting low-income families. We will spend around £276bn through the welfare system in Great Britain in 2023/24 including around £124bn on people of working age and children.Our approach to tackling poverty is based on clear evidence that parental employment, particularly where its full time, reduces the risk of poverty. In the financial year 2021 to 2022, children living in households where all adults work were around 5 times less likely to be in absolute poverty after housing costs than those living in workless households.The Government is putting significant additional support in place for those on the lowest incomes from April. Subject to Parliamentary approval, working age benefits will rise by 6.7% while the Basic and New State Pensions will be uprated by 8.5% in line with earnings, as part of the ‘triple lock”.To further support low-income households with increasing rent costs, the government will raise Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30th percentile of local market rents, benefitting 1.6m low-income households by on average £800 a year in 24/25. Additionally, the Government will increase the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 years and over by 9.8% to £11.44 representing an increase of over £1,800 to the gross annual earnings of a full-time worker on the National Living Wage. The current Household Support Fund runs from April 2023 until the end of March 2024, and the Government continues to keep all its existing programmes under review in the usual way.

Department for Education

Football: Girls

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask His Majesty's Government what is their latest assessment of the development of football for girls in schools and colleges.

Baroness Barran: The department does not routinely collect data about which sports pupils participate in during the school day. It is up to schools to decide which sports they offer so that they can meet the needs of their pupils. Factors influencing that decision include the spaces available.The Active Lives Children and Young People Survey Data for the 2022/23 academic year, which was published by Sport England on 7 December 2023, showed a significant increase of four percentage points of girls in Years 1-11 playing football over the last week, compared to the baseline data collected in the 2017/18 academic year.In December 2023, the government responded to Karen Carney’s 2023 review into the future of women’s football in support of all 10 of the strategic recommendations from the review, further demonstrating the government’s continued commitment to supporting women’s sport at every opportunity. The department is delivering on its commitments around equal access to school sports for girls, and is working with other key organisations to ensure implementation.

Physical Education

The Earl of Effingham: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Sport England’s latest Active Lives Children and Young People Survey, published in December 2023, which estimated that around 47 percent of children and young people were meeting the Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines of taking part in sport and physical activity for an average of 60 minutes or more every day, and what steps they are taking to prioritise physical education in the national curriculum.

Baroness Barran: The government wants all pupils to be healthy and active. A positive experience of sport and physical activity at a young age can create a lifelong habit of participation.Physical education (PE) is a foundation subject at all four key stages, and it is a vital part of a broad and balanced curriculum for all pupils to access. The PE national curriculum is designed to ensure that all pupils develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities, are physically active for sustained periods of time, and lead healthy and active lives.The government published the School Sport and Activity Action Plan update in July 2023. The action plan is attached. This sets out the next steps and provides further detail for school leaders and teachers on how the government will support them to improve the quality of PE and school sport, and to deliver two hours of PE a week. This will help all pupils to engage in physical activity and meet the Chief Medical Officers’ recommendations of 60 active minutes a day.The government’s Get Active strategy, published in August 2023, also provides a blueprint for a system wide approach to support schools in getting one million more children to meet the Chief Medical Officers’ daily recommended amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity.The department will publish non-statutory guidance for schools this spring, which will illustrate the practical steps taken by schools to provide two hours of PE, as well as ensuring equal access for girls and boys.School Sport and Activity Action Plan (pdf, 395.1KB)

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces

Lord Browne of Ladyton: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by The Earl of Minto on 7 December 2023 (HL Deb col 1570), what plans they have to regularise the process of cost forecasting among the three armed services.

The Earl of Minto: The Department's current operating model, where responsibility for managing the equipment plan is delegated to Top Level Budget Holders, acknowledges that they have different financial positions and carry a balance between capability and financial risk. I remain committed to reviewing the format of future equipment plan reports to ensure they remain fit for purpose.

Department for Transport

High Speed 2 Line: Costs

Lord Truscott: To ask His Majesty's Government what is their most recent assessment of the expected cost of HS2,and what assessment they have made of whether this represents goodvalue for money.

Lord Davies of Gower: The most recent cost assessment of the HS2 programme was published in November 2023 through the six-monthly update to Parliament. The Department will provide a Value for Money assessment via an update to the Phase One Business Case, due in the course of 2024.

High Speed 2 Line: Old Oak Common Station

Lord Berkeley: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the work on the section of HS2 from Old Oak Common to Euston can be funded by the private sector without taxpayer funding; and what are the sources of funding for continuing work on (1) preparing for tunnelling main bores from Old Oak Common towards Euston, and (2) installing boring machines for above main bores.

Lord Davies of Gower: As set out in Network North, the Government remains committed to delivering HS2 between Birmingham and Euston in central London as planned. The Government’s ambition remains to make best use of funding from alternative sources to enable the delivery of HS2 to Euston and the creation of a transformed ‘Euston Quarter’. Government continues to define and develop a range of development models and financing mechanisms to best meet the objectives of the ‘Euston Quarter’ while delivering value for money for the taxpayer. This includes consideration of options for using alternative funding to cover the section of HS2 from Old Oak Common to Euston.

Electric Vehicles and Hybrid Vehicles: Insurance

Lord Truscott: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to mitigate the rising cost of insurance for electric and hybrid vehicles.

Lord Davies of Gower: Department for Transport officials regularly liaise with representatives of the motor insurance industry on a variety of issues such as the cost of insurance.It is the responsibility of individual motor insurers to set their premiums and the terms and conditions of their policies, and the Government does not intervene or seek to control the market. However, the Department will continue to engage with motor insurance stakeholders to understand the challenges facing motor insurance providers and any potential solutions. The Government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly, and firms are required to do so under the Financial Conduct Authority rules.

Merchant Shipping: Nuclear Power

Lord Naseby: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to encourage or support merchant nuclear shipping.

Lord Davies of Gower: The Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution announced the Advanced Nuclear Fund of up to £385 million to invest in the next generation of nuclear technologies. This includes up to £215 million for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) to develop a domestic smaller-scale power plant technology design, and up to £170 million for a research and development programme to deliver an Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) demonstration by the early 2030s. In the Net Zero Strategy the Government announced up to £120 million for a new Future Nuclear Enabling Fund to provide targeted support to address barriers to entry.

Railway Stations: Advertising

Lord Lucas: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Davies of Gower on12 February (HL1997), whether rules similar to Network Rail's code of acceptance for commercial advertising apply to non-commercial displays of political messaging.

Lord Davies of Gower: The rules of Network Rail’s code of acceptance for commercial advertising apply to non-commercial displays.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Income Tax: Low Incomes

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government, following increases to council tax from April this year, what steps they are taking to assess the impact of these increases on households with lower incomes.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: Council tax levels are decided by local authorities, taking account of their local circumstances. The Government maintains a referendum threshold so that voters can have the final say over excessive increases. The threshold strikes a balance between giving local authorities the flexibility to generate income for local services and protecting residents. Councils are also required to put in place council tax reduction schemes to help those in financial hardship.

Leasehold

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask His Majesty's Government whatis their latest estimate of the number of leases that have a lease term of 125 years when first sold.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: According to the English Housing Survey 2021-22, 536,000 leasehold dwellings had a lease of between 99 and 125 years at the time of purchase (Annex Table 3.5).English Housing Survey 2021-22 (pdf, 6020.2KB)

Leasehold: Reform

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask His Majesty's Government what actions a leaseholder with 99 years left on their lease has to take to take advantage of proposals for a peppercorn rent in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill presently before Parliament.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill will make it easier and cheaper for leaseholders to extend their lease or buy the freehold. The Bill includes a statutory right for qualifying leaseholders to obtain a 990-year lease extension, or to buy their freehold, on payment of a premium. In doing so they can obtain a peppercorn ground rent. In calculating the premium, the value of ground rent is capped at 0.1% of the freehold value.In addition we have consulted on options to restrict ground rents for current leases and will respond to that consultation in due course. This Government has already restricted ground rents for new residential leases to a peppercorn.

Leasehold

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask His Majesty's Government how leaseholders wishing to hold a 'right to manage' ballot canacquire the data to communicate with the other leaseholders prior to the ballot being held.

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the threshold that needs to be passed for a ‘right to manage’ ballot is a majority of (1) all the leasehold properties, or (2) those ballots returned from the leaseholders.

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking toensure that 'right to manage' ballots are safe and secure.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The Right to Manage is a statutory process requiring all qualifying non-participating leaseholders to be invited to become a member of the Right to Manage company using a prescribed “notice inviting participation”. The company serves these notices on the leaseholders with no input from the freeholder.Leaseholders wishing to take forward a claim will need to obtain the title documents for their building from His Majesty’s Land Registry to determine if they qualify and to provide the required details of their leases in the claim notice. The title documents will contain the names and addresses of the owners of the other flats in the building.In order to qualify for the Right to Manage, no ballot is held, leaseholders who have setup a Right to Manage company invite other leaseholders to participate and the claim can go forward if the qualifying criteria is met. The criteria is as follows: two-thirds of the flats in the building must be held on long residential leases and leaseholders representing not less than 50% of the total number of flats in the building must participate in the claim.

Levelling Up Fund: Northern Ireland

Lord Rogan: To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend torelease the Levelling Up Fund Round 3 allocation ring-fenced for Northern Ireland.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: Further announcements will be set out in the usual way.

Treasury

Darlington Economic Campus

Lord Kempsell: To ask His Majesty's Government what datathey hold on physical attendance, for working days from Monday to Friday inclusive, by officials at offices based at the Darlington Economic Campus across all departments with a presence there; and whether they will publish that data.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government Property Agency manage access to all DEC campus buildings, and routinely provide data to departments through a combination of access pass data and space booking. Cabinet Office publish data on attendance in the form of Headquarters Occupancy data, but this data is not broken down per-department on a building-by-building basis.